As a reminder, Concordia University–Nebraska is one of our “Premiere Sponsors”. We have a special arrangement with them where you may receive three graduate-level credits for your participation in our program at a cost of $80/credit hour. This has helped some teachers meet recertification requirements in order to renew their teaching license while others have used the credits to advance to a new tier on their school’s adopted pay scale. Additionally, if a teacher is interested in pursuing a M.Ed. in (1) Curriculum & Instruction, (2) Curriculum & Instruction with Instructional Technology Leadership, (3) Curriculum & Instruction with ESL/ELL or (4) Curriculum & Instruction with Teacher Leadership these same three graduate-level credits would take the place of EDUC 506 – Integrating Technology in the Classroom in all four of those masters programs. You can also earn your Instructional Technology Leadership Endorsement using these 3 credits plus just 4 courses online.

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3. Have you made any New Year’s Professional Growth Resolutions? They might come in handy for “Celebration Day” in May. Share with the person next to you. Maybe you can become an accountability partner with someone to help each other succeed. Do you remember the working definitions for short- and long-term goals we shared with you back in September?

SHORT-TERM – Some sort of technology integrating lesson or activity you want to do with your students THIS MONTH.

LONG-TERM – A major change in the way you teach or manage your classroom. “I want to do less of THAT and more of THIS.” It could include a blog, a wiki, a web site used for flipping your classroom, going paperless with Google Docs, using digital portfolios for student work, integrating project based learning using a specific tool or tools – there are many possibilities. Think of something you’ve seen or heard about that makes you “spark” and think, “Yeah! I want to do more of THAT!”

4. In September, we shared with you ways TEC21 facilitators and teachers connect online to further build and strengthen their professional learning networks. With the start of the second semester, this would be a great time to reflect on the benefits you’ve been experiencing this year by being connected with this learning community and to begin to consider how you will remain connected once this series of face to face workshops come to an end. We hope you have found it to be a blessing to your teaching ministry and will continue to engage with us for as long as you’re in the teaching ministry.

Twitter

Twitter: Follow the facilitators and many other educators who use this powerful communication tool to ask questions, share ideas and support and encourage one another. You can also follow hashtags such as #TEC21lcms & #LuthEd!

Google+

Google+: Engage with TEC21 Educators going all the way back to “Season 1″ to ask questions and share ideas to support one another!

Facebook

Facebook: Please “Like” the TEC21 Facebook Page as another way to continue to stay connected with this blessed learning community for many years to come!

Pinterest

Pinterest: Follow TEC21’s collaborative board and we’ll invite you to pin! The invite process is not the most user-friendly so if you don’t receive an invitation, just shoot Brent Dieckhoff (brent@tec21connect.com) and he’ll send you an invite. The other option is to have any member of the board invite you.

Instagram

Instagram: Follow TEC_21 so you can enjoy the fun pics taken at our workshop centers.

5. Think all the way back to November’s TEC21 Challenges. Did anyone participate in the Hour of Code in December? What happened? Were you successful? Did you come across any challenges?

Goals

1. Discover the value of collaboration.

2. Explore collaborative tools and resources to use with your students.

3. Identify a tool or resource to share with another teacher at your school.

Collaboration

Mystery Skype Call

Have you ever Skyped or Face Timed with family or friends? Ever joined in on a Google Hangout?

There are a variety of ways to virtually connect your students with other people outside your classroom walls in real time. What kinds of learning possibilities does this technology afford us to do in the classroom? Let’s discuss. Let’s explore. Let’s collaborate with another workshop center!

Tips for a successful Mystery Skype experience:

Find a teacher who wants to do a Mystery Skype also.

Skype with each other first (without students) to practice using the platform and to plan for the activity.

Prepare your students with how the activity works, make assignments for the various roles and GO FOR IT!

Many supplemental resources can be found on the web to help plan for a successful lesson. Here are a couple to get you started:

Little or No Prep Tools & Resources

Superbook is an amazing online Bible that reads the whole Bible to students, features quality videos of stories, games to learn and go beyond, and questions and answers to help students develop in the faith. Website, iPad & Android app, and Google Play app to use with Chromebooks, tablets or any device.

Add links to a picture to create an online interactive poster. Then link websites, personal videos, pictures, notes, Google Docs to display learning. App or website. By setting image visibility as “unlisted” and “allow anyone to edit”, you may create a poster and share the link to allow the whole class to add pins collaboratively. Video explanation Practice collaborative ThingLink of International Space Station. Each of you add one button to link something to our collaborative poster.

Nearpod. Create slides interspersing polls, video clips, open answer questions, quiz, audio, draw picture or circle answer to get every student responses. Use in guided reading placing picture of story page on a slide, then ask a comprehension question on a slide, then have students circle the character or vocabulary word requested. Can be completed collaboratively by partners or small groups. Enter code I give you to experience one preplanned lesson. You may edit or use already made lessons, create your own, or upload a Powerpoint and change it into a Nearpod lesson interspersing student activities.Sample

This Phonics Genius app is loaded with content: over 6,000 professionally recorded words carefully grouped into 225 categories by phonics. You can add your own cards and record your own voice. Customizable to hear sound and show phonic highlights in red or not. Now 99 cents but well worth it. For ages 1-8.

With Math is Fun kids in grades K-12 can practice math with easy-to-learn games and activities. Check out all the options at this website, iPad app, or Google Play app. Even a dictionary of visuals to explain math terms.

ReadWriteThink Timeline allows students to create a graphical representation of an event or process by displaying items sequentially along a line. Timelines can be organized by time of day, date, or event, and the tool allows users to create a label with short or long descriptive text. The ability to add an image encourages students to create a visually appealing project. Add, drag, and rearrange items as needed. Saving capability allows students to return to their work and make revisions. Final work can be shared via e-mail or saved to the device’s camera roll.

Animated interactive books students can read or have read to them. Sounds that help interpret the story. Story creator option to have students retell the story or write another story using the characters and setting from this story. Can record child’s voice to tell the story.

Click on Watchkin.com. Copy and paste the URL of the video you want to view into the Watchkin search box and you’ll be taken to a clean page to watch your video. No distracting or potentially offensive videos or side ads will appear. To search for more videos, type your search terms in the search box above, or on any Watchkin page. You can drag and drop the Watchkinize button up to your toolbar to use whenever you show videos to your class.

Are you just using Google Docs as a substitute for a worksheet? Why not use the full capabilities of Google Docs by creating a HyperDoc?
If you are not familiar with the term, HyperDoc, it essentially means “an interactive Google Doc that guides students through innovative and inquiry-based learning lessons using directions, graphic organizers, links, and possible collaboration. The learning can be made to be self directed, and students can work at their own pace” (Google Training Center, 2016).

Explore these 9 creative ways to use HyperDocs in your Classroom. What others can you add to get students collaborating in Google Docs?

Consider having your Ss participate in a Math Trail where they ask questions and calculate results relating to their city. Finding the Beauty of Math Outside of Class. Ready made trails, virtual trails, and make your own trail.

Discover more than a million resources in the Smithsonian, create personal collections and educational experiences, and share your work. The ability to search, annotate, curate, share, and remix resources opens the door for creative use in almost every classroom. The annotation tools are easy to use and collections are completely customizable. Grades 4-12

Lunch Hour at 11:30am/Back to Work at 12:30pm

Project Development

Collaboration! We are each other’s BEST resources

TEC21 Challenges

1. Plan to virtually connect your students with another classroom. Share your experience!

3. Be a resource to at least one new person on your faculty before we meet again.

4. Encourage a fellow teacher to be a TEC21 participant next year! Express the value of being connected with other Lutheran school educators and the impact it’s had on you, your classroom and your students.